This invention relates to a method and apparatus for storing and retrieving data so as to facilitate performing a data look-up function, like a price look-up function, for example.
In recent years, there has been a trend to place U.P.C. (Universal Pricing Code) data on merchandise to be sold. When a customer presents the merchandise to be purchased at a checkout counter, an operator moves the merchandise so that the associated U.P.C. data thereon is moved in operative relationship with a scanning unit associated with a retail terminal at the checkout counter. The U.P.C. data which is read is used to electronically obtain (from a host processor) the associated unit price and merchandise description which are then printed on a sales slip by the retail terminal, for example.
In general, the unit price and merchandise or article description are stored in a RAM at the host processor, and the scanner is used to obtain the U.P.C. data or code. The U.P.C. code from the scanner is transferred via the retail terminal to the host processor which then examines its RAM to find a match by the U.P.C. code. The associated article description and price are then utilized by the retail terminal in a conventional way.